Tumbling Down the Mountainside
by Leonidas701
Summary: These are the stories of Elliot and Fie as they go through the milestones of physical and emotional intimacy in their relationship. Rated T for frank discussion of sex and heavy petting. Sequel to "How Do Flirting?" Cover by Cipple on deviantart
1. First Kiss

It was amazing how little had changed.

This day marked one week since he first asked Fie out to lunch. Since then they had held hands many more times. They had eaten together a few more times, either going out for food or sitting next to each other during dinner. During the weekend they had even studied together in the common area of the dorm. All of it seamlessly fit into what had been his schedule, just adding in being able to do some of the things with an amazing girl.

Over their meals and study sessions, he had learned some more about her as well. He learned that she liked the gardening club because it let her see the results of her work over time, and because she was fascinated by how all of the flowers could have distinct meanings. It wasn't important information, but he liked learning about it. He liked seeing the feelings behind her eyes as she talked about it all, and the little smile she got when he talked about what pulled him to music.

It just felt so natural, talking to her and listening to her.

This is what Elliot thought about as he walked under the moonlight, one hand in hand with Fie and the other carrying his violin case. It had been a little over a week since he had had to go out and play himself to sleep; the tea Sharon gave him following the daffodil incident really worked wonders. He had been about to drink his nightly dose when he got a knock on the door.

Fie had been feeling a little wired and could tell she would have trouble falling asleep. She had come to ask him if he could head out to the academy field and help her out.

So, here they were, walking down the staircase to the field, just as they had so many times before. Just like those times, Fie took a seat at the final step and Elliot went out to the middle of the field. He took out his violin and, just as he had so many times before, lost himself in the music.

* * *

It was the same.

There was nothing _wrong _with that. Seeing him do this; his posture, his expression, his fingers moving with such confidence, they all had helped kindle her initial attraction to him. But tonight she had been hoping for something different.

His performance in Heimdallr had left its mark on her. She wasn't supposed to have heard it. In fact, she had felt almost dirty for eavesdropping on what was clearly a special performance for his sister and meant for Fiona's ears only. But Fie hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. How focused even that small snippet she had heard was. The care and affection it had carried, all directed straight at his sister so she would know to not worry about him.

Thinking about her own personal performance from Elliot, from inspiring it to the aftermath, had become her favorite fantasies. She found herself returning to them time and time again and not just when desire happened to strike.

Since their first lunch together, Fie had been excited about the prospect of getting to experience the foundation of those fantasies in reality. The more time she spent with him, talking with him, learning about him, sharing with him, the more she liked him and the stronger those fantasies got. Every night for the past week, she looked at her ARCUS and waited for the message from Elliot to pop up and tell her he was heading out to the field. It refused to come.

Fie had never been a passive person. After seven nights of it not happening, she decided she would ask him herself. For her trouble, she was getting… well, exactly what she had gotten over the last couple of months. It was beautiful music, but it was aimless. It was him standing in the field and playing for himself, figuring things out, and she was just there as an observer.

Their dates had been nice. Studying with him had been nice. Holding his hand and feeling his calluses and warmth as they walked the streets together had been amazing. Overall,spending time with him since their first date had so far never failed to leave her feeling warm inside. Which made it hurt so much that this, the way they had spent time together even before then, left her feeling cold.

* * *

The song ended and Elliot bowed to his audience with a smile, like he always did. As he rose, he felt something was amiss. While he packed up his violin he kept glancing at Fie, trying to figure out what was wrong. Her expression was normal but that didn't mean much, he had only ever seen it change when she was happy. It wasn't until he walked over to her and was about to extend a hand to help her up that he realized what the problem was.

Fie was tense.

It was such an alien thought that Elliot's first reaction to having it was that he must be imagining things. Fie was always relaxed, or at least she carried herself that way. Even in combat she held herself loosely. He had seen her in the act of pouncing on an enemy and even mid-strike looking like she could just as easily decide to lay down and take a nap instead. It was part of what made her so hard to hit in combat, at any point in her movements she could suddenly decide to change direction. A tense Fie was like a relaxed Machias, just a logical impossibility.

And yet, in contempt of what Elliot had thought were the laws of reality, Fie sat before him undeniably tense.

Elliot couldn't help but feel like it was his fault. After all, she had asked him to come out here to help her relax. Instead, she was in a state that he unlike any he had ever seen her in.

"Are you okay?" Elliot asked her, looking at her with concern.

Fie looked up at him, locking eyes but not saying anything. An uncomfortable moment passed as they were suffocated by the silence.

"It's fine," Fie said, finally breaking it. She shifted her weight to start standing up only to pause when she saw Elliot putting his violin case down and sitting next to her on the stairs. He might be new to dating but he did know the difference between fine and fine.

Feeling her warmth next to him helped ease the discomfort a little bit, enough for Elliot to make an offer. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked. He didn't know what was wrong and if Fie didn't want to tell him then he wasn't going to pry. But he didn't have to know the problem to offer for his support.

"...Could you play again?" Fie asked, quietly. He couldn't see her eyes, but from the tilt of her chin he knew she was looking down.

He wanted to protest, to ask if she was certain, as it had clearly been his poor playing that contributed to this. But the words died in his throat as he recalled the same words from Instructor Mary that had given him what he needed to ask Fie out in the first place. Who was he to tell someone that they were wrong about their own wants or needs. But what he could do was his best to give them what they say they want, to not let them down. Elliot had already let Fie down once tonight, he would not do it again. He wouldn't let himself.

The violin case was reopened and the performance began. As he played, Elliot watched Fie carefully. He took careful note of which chords and measures seemed to let her shoulders slump just a little, which ones reduced the tension in her neck, and which ones were met with her releasing the grip she had on her forearm. He tried to build on those, repeating them, playing slight variations and finding ways to bridge it all together.

It was nowhere near his usual standard. He kept on missing notes he had meant to play, and screwing up his fingering of his intended chords. But the music made her slowly relax, lead to her leaning against him. By using the contact of her body to tell him her response to various bits and pieces, Elliot was able to turn his gaze to the violin and play more carefully with the aid of seeing what he was doing.

It still wasn't very good. He repeated measures more than was pleasing to hear as he searched for ways to build upon them, he made transitions between chords that hardly blended, and he had to move his arm in bizarre and uncomfortable ways to avoid elbowing her in the head. But, as displeased with it as he was, he could feel Fie relaxing and so he kept playing. She went from leaning against him to laying on her back on the stairs, putting her head in his lap and looking up at him.

Her gaze spurred Elliot on. He played and played, going through every variation he could think of of the things that seemed to have a positive effect on her. He played until he ran out of ideas and stopped. No outro, no finale, he just had nowhere else to go and so he had to end it. It was as abrupt as a train crash, and Elliot felt disgusted as an artist to have presented such a mess.

He sighed and hung his head in shame. Elliot couldn't even look at Fie, he was just too embarrassed. He started to mumble out an apology when he felt a cool hand resting against his cheek. The apology was left forever unspoken as he let the hand guide his gaze. It turned his head to make him lock eyes with Fie. The moonlight caught in her hair and shimmered in her eyes and made him forget all about whatever he was going to say. It felt like he had to instantly start dedicating his mind to committing the moment to memory but at the same time immediately knew he could never forget it.

"Can I kiss you?" Fie asked, her lips barely moving.

Elliot said yes before the question had even consciously registered.

Fie turned onto her side so she could face Elliot as she rose without having to twist her neck. She lifted her torso using just one hand, keeping the other on Elliot's cheek. Elliot helped by leaning backwards, allowing her to put some of her weight onto him and curl forwards a little so as to not have to put so much weight on her hand or bend her spine straight upwards. It was an awkward position, with wood digging into Elliot's back and Fie contorting into a strange angle. Their lips were clumsy, not content to just press against each other but not fully sure how to move with their partner.

They were awkward. They were clumsy. And it was wonderful.

When they pulled apart Fie rested her head on Elliot's chest as she moved the lower half of her body to make things a bit more comfortable. Elliot laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head with his free hand, violin and bow still firmly clenched in the other.

"That was nice," Fie said as she relaxed against Elliot.

"Yeah," Elliot said with a sheepish smile. "I don't think I was very good at it."

"That's okay," Fie said as she looked up at him and smiled. "We can practice."

This time Elliot was the one to lean down and initiate the kiss.

* * *

A/N: This story will be updated once a week on tuesdays.

Massive thank you to TheCrimsonGhost309 for being my first-pass reader for all of these and listening to my disjointed ramblings as I try to string sentences into a coherent plot, as well as just being a super cool person in general and Googlegirl11 for being an amazing beta and awesome friend, helping me polish up everything and make it nice and shiny and smooth.

Also, thanks to Heero De Fanel, who is both on FFnet and AO3, and to anonamor, knockknockbadminton, and Eratoschild, all of whom are only on AO3, for their writing advice and being just really awesome people.

Please comment/review, it makes me happy.


	2. First Night Together

Fie had been right about to step into the shower when the rain began to pour. By the time she had gotten dry and dressed it had advanced from a drizzle to a drench.

It was a shame too. She had been really looking forward to getting in a nap after her excursion through the old schoolhouse. Rean had decided to bring her along for this month's exploration and, fun as it was to fight alongside her friends, it was exhausting.

She sat on her bed and looked out the window, trying to see through the streaks of the downpour. No good. With this type of torrent, it was unlikely her flowers would be able to avoid being flooded without protection.

But it was so warm in her room, and probably even warmer in her bed. Maybe Edel or Vivi had already gotten to them. Then again, maybe they hadn't. Better to lose a little time on potential redundancies than lose a lot of progress if your faith was misplaced. More wisdom from the boss.

Fie sighed. The sooner she was done, the sooner she could come back. She put on her shoes and left the class VII dorm.

As a reward for being cautious, Fie got to see that her faith was not misplaced. The budding flowers had been covered by a heavy blue tarp, protecting them from a possible flood.

Still, she had come all this way. Might as well be as careful as possible and make sure the tarp was set up properly.

This time, her caution proved necessary. The sticks holding up the tarp hadn't been put in at quite the right angles and spaced slightly unevenly. Still, an easy fix and far simpler than if she had had to set it all up on her own.

As she made the necessary modifications, Fie found herself smiling in the pouring rain. These weren't the types of mistakes her clubmates were likely to have made. That left just one person as a prime suspect.

Her plans to return to the dorm and her bed as fast as possible were overwritten, and Fie headed to the schoolhouse.

* * *

***Knock knock***

"It's open," said Elliot. Usually the music room would be closed by now, not to open until the next day began. But this was a special circumstance and so Elliot was allowed to have it all to himself, a privilege he was both happy and surprised to be given.

The door opened and Fie walked in. The sight of her made Elliot happy under any situation, but seeing her enter the room with a smile already on her face definitely added to it. The way her wet clothes stuck to her definitely didn't hurt either. "Hey Fie," said Elliot, offering her a smile of his own.

"Hey," she said as she walked closer to him. "Did you set up the tarp over the flowerbed?"

"Yeah," said Elliot, shyly scratching his cheek. "When the rain started getting worse I remembered what you said about Edel warning you about the rain maybe killing the flowers, so Hibelle let me-" Fie's lips cut him off.

"Thanks," she said as she pulled back, wearing an even bigger smile than the one she had had on when she entered.

"Yeah, uhh, n- no problem," Elliot said, happily. No matter how many times they had done it, kissing Fie still left his brain feeling all fluffy in the best way.

"Whatcha doing?" she asked as she sat down at the piano, its bench being the closest place to him to sit.

"Well, to put up the tarp and stuff I kinda had to miss the last half of practice. Hibelle gave me the key to the room and told me I could stay here and practice as long as I needed to today. I just had to drop it off at instructor Mary's desk before I left."

"You had a practice?" Fie asked. "Even with the performance today?"

Elliot nodded. "It wasn't a full practice. Instructor Mary just had some notes she'd written during the show, things we could improve and mistakes we made. She just gave them to us and let us work on them for a while."

Fie nodded and folded up her arms on top of the piano, resting her head on her forearms and getting comfortable.

When he saw that Fie had no more questions for him, Elliot tucked his violin into place under his chin.

"You were great in the show today," said Fie as he brought his bow up to rest on his strings. She had been in the church for it, sitting near the back.

"Thank you," Elliot said, giving her a smile before beginning his practice.

The music relaxed Fie, letting her rest, but it also interested her enough that she couldn't quite fall asleep. She just drifted along the border until the sun had gone down and a knock interrupted the instrumentation.

"Excuse me?" said Janitor Gyler from behind the wood. "I hate to interrupt you, but I've gotta lock up the school."

"Sorry for the inconvenience," replied Elliot. Fie said nothing, just stood up from the piano bench as Elliot put away his violin. "I just have to drop off this key at Instructor Mary's desk before I leave, is that okay?" asked Elliot as he grabbed his umbrella from the basket near the doorway.

"Shouldn't be an issue," said Gyler as Elliot opened the door, Fie close behind him. "Let me just come head down with you and open up the teacher's room."

The necessary doors were locked and unlocked, the key was dropped off, and Gyler escorted Elliot and Fie out of the building. The doors were sealed behind them and the pair were left standing under the overhang.

Elliot unlatched his umbrella and popped it open, holding it in his right hand. "Ready to head back to the dorm?" he asked Fie.

Fie nodded and moved over to his left side. "Can I carry your violin?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," said Elliot, confused as he gave it to Fie. "Why?"

"I want to hold your hand."

Something about the frank way Fie said it made him blush and brought back those warm feelings she gave him so regularly. It wasn't until his fingers had laced with her's that he noticed a flaw in her plan.

"Wait, if you're holding my hand, then the umbrella won't be able to cover you since it'll be on the opposite side of me," he pointed out.

Fie shrugged. "So I'll get wet."

Elliot frowned but didn't argue with her. He thought for a few moments and then brightened. "I've got an idea." He transferred the umbrella from his right hand to being just over his left shoulder and tilted his head to hold it with his cheek almost like a violin. He could feel the nylon against his head, but that didn't matter. Now him and Fie could hold hands as they walked back to the dorm and both remain dry.

For his insight, Fie gave Elliot a kiss on the cheek. Elliot saw it coming and was just fast enough to turn his head and make it into a kiss on the lips, not that Fie was complaining.

Unlike the violin, there was no issue with Fie leaning against Elliot while he was holding the umbrella like this, a fact she took full advantage of. She pressed against him the entire way back to the dorms, both of them enjoying the comfortable and romantic atmosphere.

They made it back to the dorms just in time for a warm and hearty dinner, lovingly prepared for them and their friends by Sharon. Fie finished eating first and went up to her bedroom to change out of the rain-soaked clothes into a fresh set. She was soon joined by Elliot, also in clean clothing, and they both took a seat at her desk and studied together.

Studying, in this case, was only partially euphemistic. Ever since the morning after their first kiss, when both of them woke up with spinal pain as a result of their awkward positioning, they had agreed that future making out should take place in more comfortable conditions. In the days since then, Fie's room had become as familiar to Elliot as his room became to her. They figured that, since their activities were taking place so close to their textbooks anyways, they might as well take the opportunity to study together as well while they caught their breaths.

They were in the middle of one such rest/study session when Fie let out a sudden yawn.

"Are you ti-" said Elliot before being cut off by a yawn of his own, making Fie release a single silent snort of laughter as Elliot sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

"I guess we both have had a long day," he said with a small smile, closing his notebook. "We should probably go to bed." He got a nod in response. Elliot leaned in to give Fie a small kiss, intended to be a kiss good night, and stood up from his chair before turning to leave.

He was stopped by a hand pulling at his sleeve. "Stay," requested Fie.

"You wanna study some more?" he asked.

Fie shook her head and stood up, getting on her toes to kiss Elliot much more deeply. By the time they had detached from each other, Elliot knew what she meant.

"Fie," he said, carefully. "I'd love too, but if we do that I'll probably be too tired to make it back to my room."

"So stay the night."

Elliot knew that there was a chance that that had been what she was getting at. It was why he had mentioned the odds of him being able to make it home, to check if it was what she wanted. But he hadn't been expecting it to actually be the case.

Unlike the last time when Fie had said yes to him when he hadn't been really expecting it, Elliot hadn't spent hours rehearsing for it. The surprise just sort of struck him dumb.

"Okay," he said, moments before Fie pulled him in for another kiss.

Time passed, though neither was keeping track. Over the course of it they somehow found themselves on the bed. Elliot was on top of Fie and Fie had one leg wrapped around him and they remained in that position until they were yawning more than they were kissing.

It was following a round of cascading yawns that Elliot spoke up about the situation. "We really need to sleep."

Fie leaned up to give him one last kiss before agreeing and unwinding her leg from around his hips. Elliot rolled over onto his side to let Fie stand up from the bed, then sat on the edge. Fie headed over to her closet, when Elliot had a realization.

In response to the sudden lack of any sound of movement from Elliot, Fie looked over her shoulder. "Something up?"

Elliot's jaw worked wordlessly for a few seconds while his blush got deeper and deeper. "I, uh, I sleep in my boxers. I- I can go upstairs and get some sweatpants or someth-"

Fie cut him off with a shrug. "If you're fine with sleeping together like that, then I'm not gonna complain."

Elliot nodded. Her words helped him feel less awkward but no less embarrassed. "I'm okay with it," he said, trailing off at the end and staring at his feet. His excitement at the prospect did nothing to diminish his embarrassment either. If anything it just made it worse.

It's not like Fie hadn't seen him like that before. She had been in that swimming class with him, and those trunks weren't much longer than his boxers.

Elliot's jaw unclenched as he tried to talk himself down. As he did so, he glanced up. He saw Fie from behind, in the middle of pulling her shirt off, and quickly looked away, face even redder than it had been.

Fie saw him do this through the reflection of her closet mirror. "It's okay if you watch," she said over her shoulder. She pulled her shirt all the way off and turned to face him. "I don't mind."

As embarrassed as he was, Elliot's hormones were even stronger. At hearing her giving him the go-ahead, his gaze snapped from the floor directly up to stare at her.

Fie turned back around and started getting her skirt off. "Aren't you gonna change?" she said, a light note of teasing in her voice as she tried to push down her own nervous excitement.

"Oh, right," Elliot said, springing to his feet. His hands were shaking enough to make it hard for him to undo his shirt buttons, but he eventually managed it. It was hard enough of a task that it occupied his mind enough to let him calm down a little. By the time he had his shirt and pants off, Fie had changed into her pajamas.

Now it was her turn to look at him. Despite having seen him in a very similar state of dress before, there was a world of difference between seeing it at the school pool with the rest of the class around in the middle of a lesson and seeing it in the privacy of her bedroom at night. Especially when Elliot's body had the natural reaction a teenage boy would have in such a situation.

It was enough to give Fie her own blush. It was a rare sight for Elliot, and one he usually relished, but the moment was dampered somewhat by his cheeks being hot enough to fry an egg.

A silence hung in the air as they looked at each other, taking in the sight as best they could.

Elliot cleared his throat. "Uh, those are nice pajamas," he awkwardly said.

"Thanks. The boss bought them for me for my fourteenth birthday," said Fie.

The dialogue did just enough to snap them back to their senses to let Fie hit the lights. With the darkness dampening their vision, they were able to focus on getting into bed together.

What followed was a mess of flailing limbs, fluttering blankets, and rotating pillows as the pair tried to figure out a comfortable position to sleep in. Fie's head was right in the middle of Elliot's chest, her hands tucked under his back, and his arms around her.

With the flurry of activity over, the reality of what they were doing set in.

Elliot found his mouth suddenly dry. "Are you sure you don't wanna put a pillow on my chest or, or something?" he asked. Fie nodded; well, tried to nod but got stopped by his body.

"This is fine," she said as she closed her eyes.

Elliot didn't have a response. The scent of her hair filled his mind.

"...so warm," she mumbled.

"What was that?" asked Elliot.

"You're so warm," she said, slightly louder. "And soft… And smooth."

"Heheh, yeah," Elliot nervously laughed. "I can't grow body hair," he said, unable to stop himself. "Not arms, not legs, not chest, nothing. My dad is the same way."

"Lucky," said Fie. She slid her leg along his in such a way that her pajama leg slid upwards, letting him feel her skin with his. "I have to shave every couple of days."

"Ah." Elliot was once more at a loss for words. Feeling her skin against his in ways that wasn't via hands or lip to lip was new. Even when they made out, when Fie wore a skirt, Elliot always had pants on. Her bare leg gliding against his was electric. "I'm sorry," he lamely said, the best he could think of as a response to her plight.

Fie made an amused noise and nuzzled his chest. "It's okay," she said. "It's not your fault."

Elliot nodded in false acknowledgement of her words. In truth, the constant new and exciting sensations were leaving his mind so full that what she had said only barely registered. Luckily it didn't matter that his nod was fake, she couldn't see it anyways. The one thing it _did_ accomplish was putting his nose in contact with her hair.

Even when he realized and pulled back, the tickle persisted. Elliot had just enough time to tilt his head to the side as he sneezed. "Sorry," he said.

"Do it again," she said.

"Sneeze?" Elliot asked, looking down at her in confusion.

"No. You hugged me tighter. I liked it." Elliot could feel her cheeks warm up slightly against his chest in a way that made him willing to agree to pretty much anything. He was still confused, but he did it.

"Like this?"

Fie attempted another nod. "Ye-" she said before being cut off by a loud yawn. She nestled against Elliot's and mumbled something. The only coherent part came at the end. "sleepy."

Elliot smiled at her and stroked her back gently. "Maybe we should go to sleep?" he asked before kissing the top of her head, his tiredness and her cuteness combining to give him some new level of boldness.

A third try at a nod. "G'night," Fie said.

"Good night, Fie."


	3. First Label

Habits can change remarkably quickly when given the proper incentive. For as long as Elliot could remember, his waking up routine involved sitting up and stretching his arms out. But, over the last several days, that had ceased to be the case. The reason for the sudden shift was currently asleep and being held against his chest.

It wasn't often that Elliot woke up before Fie. It was far more common that the first thing he saw in the morning were a pair of lime green eyes staring up at him. He couldn't blame her; the things they had gone through at Garrelia Fortress the previous day had taken their toll on all of them -Fie especially. The way she had taken point in battle, running straight up to the enemy and weaving around their attacks, keeping all of the attention on her, had Elliot both worried and astounded. Her being more tired than him, who had stood at the back of the group and kept everyone on their feet, was completely understandable. Regardless, Elliot took advantage of this role reversal to enjoy the sight of the target of his affections resting peaceful with her cheek over his heart.

He reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a breath mint to suck on. The first morning they woke up together, Fie told him his breath stank. She had just meant it as a sleepy observation, but it mortified him enough to put a roll of mints on both his and Fie's bedside table to avoid the situation in the future.

As he sucked on the peppermint candy, he felt a stirring under the blanket. Elliot looked down and watched as Fie opened her eyes for the first time that day. She was met with a smile. "Good morning," he said.

Fie yawned loudly and nuzzled his chest as she blinked against the daylight. She planted a kiss over his solar plexus. "G'morning," she greeted sleepily.

"Ready to get up?"

"Almost." Fie put her hands on either side of Elliot's torso and slid herself along his body while she pushed herself up, leaving them face to face with Fie hovering over him. She descended and caught his lips in a kiss deep enough for Elliot to lose his mint. "Now I'm ready," she said, smiling as they finally pulled apart.

Elliot pulled the blanket off of them and Fie rolled off of him to sit on the edge of the bed, stretching out her shoulders. Elliot leaned onto his side and watched her for a moment before getting up and going to his drawer to get dressed. Fie got onto her feet soon afterwards and headed to the door.

Every morning they woke up together, they found a bag of clothing thoughtfully left hanging from the doorknob outside of whatever room they had slept in; an outfit for Fie if she had spent the night in Elliot's room, like she had last night, and vice versa in the opposite case. While it had taken them both by surprise the first time it had happened, they were grateful for the thoughtfulness and both made sure to thank Sharon at breakfast.

The bag was retrieved, the door closed once more, and Fie started to strip out of her pajamas. It had been just a bit over a week since the first time Elliot and Fie had seen each other change clothes and it had become more comfortable all around. It's not that they were used to it exactly, Elliot didn't think he could ever get used to the sight and worried what it would say about him if he did, but the awkward feeling was gone. His cheeks still copied his hair and hers still acquired a faint dusting of rose but they no longer felt the impulse to look away.

Elliot had gotten quite good at buttoning up his shirt without looking at it.

They were both dressed fairly quickly, Fie finishing first then coming up behind him to fix his collar.

One final good morning kiss was shared and they exited Elliot's bedroom to join the rest of their dorm for breakfast.

* * *

Elliot returned to his bedroom alone. He had invited Fie to walk back from classes with him, but she had made plans with Emma to help her practice a new craft she had thought of. It was no problem, he had some things that needed to be taken care of which he could use to occupy his time.

Thus he found himself staring at a pack of new violin strings side by side with a piece of paper on his desk. Replace his worn out strings or write a letter to his sister. On the one hand, replacing his strings was always a pain and that made him want to take care of that first. On the other, he hadn't written to his sister in quite some time and she was probably worried about him given yesterday's battle with the terrorists.

Even though he knew that the letter would reach her at the same time regardless of if he wrote it now or later in the day, the guilt he felt about putting off reassuring her made his decision for him.

The strings were pushed to the side and the paper adorned with ink. He made sure to tell her that he was fine, that he had been unharmed, and that he was doing well. The detail about how the thud of the terrorists collapsing to the floor rather than be taken in had haunted him for hours afterwards went unmentioned. That it had taken Sara and Neidhart giving the whole class a talk on the train back to the dorm for him to stop fixating on it was left out entirely. There was such a thing as being too open, even with your siblings. Especially with your siblings.

With that first paragraph out of the way, he started talking about lighter things. How he had played first violin in the wind orchestra performance following Hibelle's injury and done a pretty decent job. How he had gotten over a ninety percent on their last economics quiz. Small positive details like that.

_Oh, and I have some great news. I have a girlfriend now!_ _Her name is Fie, you met her during the_

Elliot had to stop himself mid-sentence. Girlfriend. Was Fie his girlfriend?

No. No, she wasn't. That had been something his father had taught him during one of his many, many talks on manhood. Unlike most, which involved things like proper eating or exercise information or other things Elliot tuned out, this conversation had begun with his father making sure he was listening and speaking carefully.

Elliot learned a lot that day. About emotions and urges. About not confusing physical desires for emotional cravings. About the importance of conveying intention and being honest with people but especially himself. And, arguably most important of all, about not pushing someone into something just because he wants it and how that went for multiple desires, not just the obvious.

Then his father gave him a pack of condoms, a coupon for a store Elliot was certain he couldn't legally enter, and left him to think about it all while promising to be available to answer any questions he may have.

He hadn't really thought about it before, but the natural way it flowed from his pen made him certain. Elliot wanted Fie as his girlfriend. The most likely way for that to happen would be for him to ask her. But did she want him to be her boyfriend? Fie had never shown interest in them pushing their relationship forward, she seemed happy with how things were. On the other hand, he had been the same way. He didn't even know that he wanted to move forward until his unconscious had taken over his writing.

But Fie wasn't like him. Fie was assertive and direct, it was some of the things he admired about her. Surely, if she had wanted them to be more she would have asked him by now.

Elliot realized he had to cut off that line of thinking. He couldn't put the onus onto someone else to fulfill his desires. Hopefully Fie felt the same as he did, but maybe she didn't. That was the situation he was in, any odds or probabilities he tried to think up would be just him trying to put a logical face onto his fear.

He liked the situation they were in. Would trying to take that next step be worth potentially ruining what they already had? Then again, if it wasn't shared he had to know soon or risk the potential emotional pain of rejection getting even worse. But what if she didn't want it right now but started wanting it in the future? There were risks all around.

The question ran through his mind for the rest of the evening. The letter was tucked away in his desk, the strings opened up and attached to his violin, and the sun steadily lowered in the sky as he sat at his desk. He was still no closer to having an answer.

His door opened up, startling him out of his thoughts.

"Hey," said Fie as she put her bag down near the door. She eyed him, tilting her head out of curiosity. "You okay?" she asked. The warmth in her voice. The look in her eyes. The lingering feeling of her lips on his cheek as she stood behind him and draped herself over his shoulders. Elliot found himself landing firmly on one side of the fence.

He smiled at her and gave her a peck on the lips. "I was just thinking and you surprised me. How was Emma?"

Now he just had to plan it out and practice to make sure he did it right.

* * *

Elliot's behavior wasn't making any sense and Fie was getting a little worried.

It started at the end of lunch. They hadn't eaten together that day, Fie wanted to eat quickly and take a nap before the evening classes so Elliot had had lunch with Rean and Gaius instead, but he had been acting normal when they went their separate ways in the classroom. Then Fie had woken up with a message on her phone saying Elliot wanted to ask her something and if they could meet up right before class resumed.

This was a little strange, but didn't raise any red flags for Fie.. Sometimes you didn't want to leave a paper trail of your correspondence, Fie could respect that. So, she agreed and they met up in the hallway outside of class.

Elliot had been nervous, which wasn't unusual for him. Fie honestly found it kind of cute, it reminded her of how he would play with his fingers right before inviting her to lunch the first couple of times he had asked her out. This time he was inviting her to have dinner with him in his dorm room, saying he wanted to cook for her.

Fie couldn't think of anything else she might have wanted to do tonight, so she said agreed. Normally when Fie said yes to one of Elliot's offers, his fidgeting stopped. This time it just diminished. It was unexpected enough for her to take note of it, but nothing to be concerned about. Any number of things could be stressing Elliot out, especially in their school.

In fact, she had almost forgotten about it by the time she had shown up to his room. Elliot opened the door with a big smile on his face, welcomed her in with a kiss, and seated her at a little table he had set up in the center of his room. But his eyes kept darting around the food and his room, like he was worried about something. Fie assumed he was concerned about what she would think of the meal, and so she made sure to compliment him on each course. It was easy to do as all of them were delicious, from the egg soup to his gratin to a delicious pudding quartet for dessert.

While she could tell her compliments were appreciated, no amount of stress could diminish the smiles he gave her with his thanks, his worries didn't leave. If anything they seemed to almost get worse as the meal went on.

When the food was all gone, he offered her a hand out of her seat and invited her to come sit with him on his bed. Fie accepted but took the opportunity to voice her concerns as he lead her to the bed. "Is something wrong?"

Elliot halted and took a deep breath. "No, nothing's wrong," he said as he turned to face her. "I'm just nervous."

"About what?"

"About this." Another deep breath and Fie felt his grip on her hand tighten as they made it the rest of the way to the bed. His body language remained jittery as they sat and he let go of her, but his voice became steady. "I like you Fie. A lot. Will you be my girlfriend?"

Fie may not be the most outwardly expressive, but her feelings were just as strong as anyone's. So, whenever she told someone she didn't understand something only to be met by bewildered surprise, it hurt and made her feel stupid. Such experiences had bothered Fie so much that her first instinct was to respond to Elliot's question with a no. While she was of course familiar with the terms boyfriend and girlfriend and knew they meant being special to someone, she wasn't sure what it actually meant to be that to someone or to have someone be that for you. The boss had told her to never agree to anything when she didn't fully understand what accepting would entail, and saying no would have followed that advice while avoiding potential negative feelings.

But the look in Elliot's eyes had made her hesitate. Fie may not know what the terms mean, but they were clearly important to him. So, she gave him the benefit of the doubt and confessed her ignorance.

"What does that mean?" she asked. For a split second she was worried that he was about to react like Vivi had when Fie asked her why she kept giggling at pictures of eggplant.

Thankfully, her fears were unfounded. While Elliot had clearly been surprised by her confusion, his response was to try and answer it and not mock her.

"Well, it means a lot," he said awkwardly, trying to earn time as he looked for the words. "Basically it means not doing the types of things we have been doing together with other people. N- not studying together or just eating together, stuff like the- the kissing and cuddling and holding hands and sleeping together." As he recounted the things they did together Elliot's cheeks lit up like a furnace and his voice grew tiny, like he couldn't believe, in a good way, they really did those things together. He cleared his throat and kept talking. "And it means things like making plans in advance to do things together, things beyond getting lunch together or studying together."

Fie was quiet and it made Elliot nervous. He could tell his explanation for what it meant to be a couple was hardly the most enticing sales pitch. His teeth clenched and he reminded himself that he had known rejection was an option. That didn't make him feel any better about the possibility, but at least it wouldn't be a surprise.

He wanted so badly to break the silence, to ask her what her response was, but he forced that impulse down. Fie would answer him when she was ready, he couldn't and, more importantly, _shouldn't _push her. He tried to distract himself by counting the petals left over on the daffodils on his desk. They had long since dried up but Elliot remained hesitant to throw them away.

"I need to think about it," said Fie, finally breaking the silence. Elliot finally allowed himself to exhale through clenched teeth. It wasn't a yes. It wasn't a no. It wasn't anything but her being polite and telling him he wouldn't get an answer right now.

"_Don't overthink it,"_ he told himself as he unclenched the hand he hadn't been aware of making into a fist. "I understand," he said, looking at her. He thought about forcing a smile but the thought of lying to her, even to that extent, made him feel dirty.

Fie nodded. She stood up from the bed, her gaze avoiding Elliot. "I'll take the dishes down to Sharon."

"Thank you," said Elliot, the words propelled from his lips by anxiety.

There was silence as Fie collected the dirty dining equipment and left the room. She didn't return, but hadn't Elliot expected her to.

* * *

The book on her desk could have been completely blank and Fie wouldn't notice. It was supposedly one of Emma's favorites; she had loaned it to her a couple weeks ago with an assurance she would love it. Tonight, as a last resort, Fie finally opened it. It hadn't worked.

For the tenth time in as many minutes, Fie opened her ARCUS unit to check the clock. It failed to register just as much as the other attempts had. All she knew for certain was that it had been over twenty-four hours since she had left Elliot's room. Twenty-four hours since the last thing she had said to him that wasn't an awkward "hi" or "bye" in the morning or at the dinner table.

Fie was no closer to an answer now than she had been when she left. She knew she enjoyed all the things they did. She could feel just how badly she wanted to go down to his room and do them. Especially the cuddling -Fie felt like that would be a huge help to her current emotional state.

Even not touching him, just sitting across from him at dinner last night and talking, felt good. They had been doing all that just fine up until yesterday. What was wrong with just doing what they wanted when they wanted too? Why make it an expectation? Fie didn't want to do anything they had been doing with someone else, but why make it a rule?

But then there was the way she had felt when she walked into his room last night and saw the meal he had specially prepared for the two of them. Nothing they had done before had made her feel quite the same way, and she knew it wasn't something that could be arranged on the spur of the moment like everything else had been. She had tried telling herself that even if she said no that things like that might still be possible, but she knew it was a lie even if she couldn't tell why.

Fie held her head in her hands. She missed her dad.

Her door swung open and Sara barged in, not bothering to ask for permission. The former bracer had made herself comfortable on Fie's bed by the time the door clicked shut.

"What's up, Fie?" the instructor said in her overly chipper way. "You barely ate anything at dinner."

Fie closed her eyes, at once annoyed by and grateful for the distraction. "I wasn't hungry."

"When has that ever stopped you?" Sara teased, well aware of Fie's father's teachings.

"..."

"Hmmm, how about this," said Sara as she leaned back on her elbows. "I'll start saying what I think is up, and you can tell me if I'm right or not. How's that sound?"

"..."

"Alright!" Sara said as she straightened back up and clapped her hands together, plowing onwards. "I think you're worried about making a transition. Your whole life you've had things be either casual or serious, and you don't know how to feel about something going from one category to the other. Am I right?"

"..."

"You're probably also worried that once the category changes, that'll change how the thing itself works, huh?"

"..."

"Well, you're right!" Sara said with a thumbs up that Fie saw out the corner of her eye. "Things do change when they become serious. Even your way of thinking about them will change. You won't be able to just take things as they come anymore. You'll have to start keeping it in mind when you make your schedule and not just fit it in whenever you find yourself with free time. You'll be putting restrictions on yourself."

Fie's silence continued but her shoulders fell.

Sara's voice changed to a warmer tone. "That's not a bad thing though. I know it's scary, especially when it's new, but the upsides are worth it. You keep it in mind when you make your schedule because you know it's stable and any plans you make together are most likely to go through. You accept the restrictions because you can trust that they'll be doing the same. And that's just the baseline. There's also having the knowledge of having a level of priority in someone's life. Knowing there is someone who will support you and be there for you no matter how you're feeling. That is, as long as you don't take advantage of them of course."

"..."

"At least, that's what it should mean. I'm not gonna lie to you and tell you that's how it always works. Sometimes people don't hold up their end of the bargain and betray your trust. Even if that doesn't happen, things can just deteriorate. People change, circumstances change, and sometimes what you had isn't there any more. Sometimes, even if it's still there, things have gotten to a point where it's hurting more than it's helping and it has to end for everyone's sake. Sometimes…" Sara's voice got so quiet Fie had to strain to hear it. "Sometimes you just get unlucky."

The room got quiet. Fie looked at her bed in concern and saw Sara's head hanging as she picked at a loose thread on her sleeve.

Sara cleared her throat and the quiet moment passed. "Anyways, it's a risk. But, with the right person, it's a risk worth taking. Elliot's a good kid. So are you. The worst you'd have to worry about with him is things just not working out. And if you want something, if you want to be with someone, you can never avoid the possibility of things not working out. The only certainty that can ever exist is that if you don't try then it definitely won't work."

"..."

Sara looked at Fie, waiting for a response that never came. "Well," she said as she stood up. "I've said my piece. Good luck Fie." Sara made to exit the room.

Right as her hand touched the doorknob, Fie spoke. "Thank you."

Sara turned and gave her student a massive smile. "No problem," she said as she left. "_That was totally worth owing Sharon a favor,"_ she thought as the door closed behind her.

* * *

The crackle of the radio was all Elliot had to distract himself. There was nothing he could do. Nothing to do but wait and pace and be nervous and scared. The uncertainty was killing him, almost to the point he would rather she had just said no. Almost.

He opened his ARCUS, perhaps he had missed a message. No. Back to pacing.

The sound of a knock at his door nearly made him jump out of his skin. Once his heart rate lowered and he could breathe again, he went to answer it. He expected it to be Rean or perhaps Sharon, someone checking in on him and who he could maybe distract himself talking to them for a little bit.

What he got was a pair of arms around his neck as soon as the door opened. Lips were on his before he could so much as blink in surprise. The kiss was over quickly and Elliot pulled away from it to see a pair of smiling green eyes looking up at him.

"Yes."


	4. First Reality

Knowing that you're just being paranoid and have no reason to be nervous doesn't actually make you any less nervous. It just makes you feel stupid on top of being nervous. And at the moment, Elliot was feeling _real_ stupid.

He had woken up alone in bed, his ARCUS blinking with a message notification. There was something Fie needed to take care of before their date and wanted to let him get some more sleep so she left without waking him.

Elliot knew Fie wasn't the type of person to stand someone up without telling them. He knew she would have told him if the thing she was doing might require their date to be pushed back. He knew that she was as excited to go into Heimdallr as he was, one of the stops on their trip were her idea and she was the one who had thought to tell Rean the night before that they wouldn't be available to help with the old schoolhouse that day. There was absolutely no reason for him to worry that his amazing, trustworthy, thoughtful girlfriend would stand him up.

His girlfriend. It had been two weeks since she had agreed to it and the thought still put a smile on his face. He was Fie's boyfriend. She was his girlfriend. It made him so happy he didn't even feel self-conscious about how silly he must have looked, leaning against the archway of the train station, smiling at nothing.

A flash of silver hair came strolling around the corner and his smile was given a target. Fie drew near and Elliot's arms easily found their way around her, hugging her close as she kissed him on the cheek.

"How did it go?" Elliot asked as he let go of her, sliding his hand across her back and down her arm to hold hers.

"Good," Fie said as they entered the train station. The couple found an empty bench to sit on and they got comfortable. "The herbs I was growing bloomed yesterday."

Elliot smiled at her and gently squeezed her hand. "I knew you could do it."

She leaned against him and smiled softly. "Thanks."

"Was that what you were doing?"

Fie nodded. "I potted them and gave them out."

"You did?" Elliot asked, feeling something funny in his stomach. "All of them?"

"Yeah. Rean helped," Fie said, thinking that the sudden lilt of Elliot's voice had to do with her potentially tiring herself out. When he didn't say anything, she looked up at his face. He had that look he sometimes did of wanting to say something but feeling bad about wanting to say it. "What is it?" she asked, turning her hand in his to lace their fingers together.

Elliot sighed and shook his head. "It's…" Stupid. Nothing. His presumptions getting the better of him. All would be accurate but none of them would be an actual answer to the question. She deserved a real answer, even if it made him look bad. "I was hoping to get one of the flowers."

Fie looked up at him with her equivalent of a surprised expression before she realized what the problem was. "They meant familial love."

"...Oh," Elliot said, blushing and rubbing the back of his neck. "Then I guess I'm glad I didn't get one. Sorry."

"'S okay," said Fie, closing her eyes and resting her head against his shoulder. "You have the train tickets?"

"Yep, right here." Elliot patted his breast pocket. "Next to the play tickets."

"Right here," Fie parroted as she also patted them, making her boyfriend blush which made her smile.

Soon the train pulled in and the duo boarded, excited to get to their date.

* * *

Fie hadn't been entirely honest with Elliot about why she had to leave the bed that morning. While it was true she had meant to wake up early for the sake of handing out the herbs, the young woman had had a particularly good dream that night. The type of dream that necessitated a shower and a change of clothes.

This wasn't an uncommon occurrence for Fie, it wasn't even the first time it had happened while she was asleep with Elliot. Usual standard operating procedure was to shower, change into fresh underwear and pajamas, and go back to resting in his arms until he woke up. This time she decided to put on her normal clothes after the shower and get a jump on preparing the herbs.

Maybe it was because she didn't go back to sleep like usual, maybe it was because this was the first time it had happened since they had become an official couple, but for whatever reason this dream refused to leave her mind like the others had. It would be overshadowed by more immediate thoughts in the moment, like when she had to concentrate to ensure the roots remained intact or while she was speaking with Rean and the others as she was delivering the flowers, but it always came back.

Walking through Heimdallr hand in hand with the star of the dream did nothing to help matters.

They arrived at the opera house with time to spare before the play started. The residual time was filled by Elliot taking her around the vast lobby, showing her his favorite pieces of musical history they had on display. The excitement in his voice and the way he all but dragged her around the room in his eagerness to show her as much as he could reminded Fie of his attitude in her dream.

During the intermission, Fie had to go to the bathroom. Upon returning, she was greeted by a cup of Jasmine's lemon gelato. Apparently they offered refreshments during the break and Elliot had remembered her wanting some during their field study. "Thank you," Fie said, kissing him softly as she sat down.

"It's nothing," Elliot responded shyly, blushing lightly. "I actually couldn't remember what flavor you wanted so I messaged the others to ask if they-" Fie cut off his confession with a second, deeper kiss as the lights dimmed and the next act began. Even if he didn't remember everything and had needed some help, it was still a very sweet gesture on his part. And it reminded Fie that the dream had started with her wanting to reward Elliot after a similar act of thoughtfulness.

Even things that had nothing to do with her or Elliot stoked the flames. After the play they had gone to the crystal garden. Fie enjoyed looking at the exotic plants and reading the brochure giving information about each one. She didn't speak much and Elliot didn't either, letting her bask in the beauty and wonder of the flowers.

But there was one disturbance. A couple, not much older than they were, sitting under the wisterias, one straddling the other as they kissed. When Elliot noticed, he blushed and stammered that they should maybe give them privacy. Fie nodded and looked away, but not before imagining herself and Elliot in that position, ideally with no one watching them.

Fie found herself acting a little impulsively for the remainder of their date. From minor things like kissing his neck when they sat down for a rest on a bench to using her finger to wipe some sauce away from the corner of his lips, looking into his eyes as she sucked her fingertip clean in the diner they were having dinner in.

Elliot found it somewhat odd but he was far from seeing a reason to complain, even when she laid down on the train seat and put her head in his lap to nuzzle his thigh.

The end result was that by the time they had returned to Trista and made their way into the privacy of Elliot's bedroom, it was impossible to tell who initiated the intense kiss they found themselves in as soon as the door clicked shut behind them.

If Elliot had been able to process information beyond Fie's warmth, touch, and taste, he probably would have been extremely grateful his girlfriend was agile enough to keep them from stumbling over each other as they walked from the door to the middle of the room. As it was though, such complex thoughts were beyond him. He was fully lost in her until she suddenly pulled back.

"I want to try something," she said. To a normal onlooker, her voice would have seemed as steady as ever. But the subtle undercurrent of breathlessness to her words was not lost on Elliot, leaving him extremely keen on listening to her request. "Sit in the chair?"

Elliot obliged, pulling the chair out from his desk and sitting down in it. Fie practically leapt on top of him as soon as he was stable, straddling her boyfriend as her lips found his once more.

They had never done something like this before. All their previous make out sessions had been in a bed and their inexperience showed. Fie had to shift to get comfortable and Elliot needed to close his legs to give her a more stable place to sit, but their eagerness made up for it.

For a long time, no more words were exchanged. Elliot found his hands moving to areas previously unexplored. Fie's hips began shifting against him, slowly but with gradually increasing force. The pair found themselves needing air often. Elliot's tie was loosened and Fie's bowtie cast to the floor, but the need remained.

While one caught their breath, the other took the opportunity to let their lips roam. Elliot placed a sloppy kiss between Fie's neck and shoulder. She responded with a particularly forceful grind against him. The unexpected stimulation caused Elliot's teeth clench involuntarily, drawing a sound from Fie which encouraged Elliot to intentionally bite that area again.

Buttons were undone, the processed slowed by overexcitement and divided attention. Elliot's shirts were the first to be fully opened, and Fie slid her arms underneath the cloth, holding him tight. It wasn't enough, not this time. Fie pulled back and rested her forehead against his, looking into his eyes as she stopped bucking against him.

"Do you want to get naked?" she asked him. She had expected a quick and simple response, but one didn't come. Instead Elliot struggled, his hands sliding up to rest on her hips as he fought against his lust.

"Is getting naked all you would want to do?" he finally managed to say.

Fie hesitated. Even astride atop him, it was hard for her to voice her feelings. She wanted him, badly. But she just couldn't say it. She settled for the fewest words that would answer his question. "No."

"I would too. I just- I- I don't-" Elliot looked almost like he was in pain with every word, from the strain of battling his desires with his sense of responsibility to being worried that he was disappointing Fie. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before letting it all out. "I don't have any condoms. If I saw you naked, and I was naked, and you wanted it as much as I did, I don't think I would be able to resist, condoms or not." His eyes opened nervously as he waited for her reaction.

Fie looked at him for a moment before sighing and leaning against him. "I don't either." Her eyes closed as she tucked her chin in the crook of his neck. "You're right. We shouldn't. Yet."

Knowing she agreed helped Elliot relax. His hands went from on her hips to the small of her back, holding her tight. They rested, letting their heart rates slow down and their senses gradually return to them.

"Have you had sex before?" Fie asked, wanting to make conversation but unable to fully pull her mind away from her other wants. For the second time that evening, she was surprised by his response.

Elliot nodded. "Once."

Fie's eyes opened and she looked at him. On the one hand, she wanted to hear more but on the other, she knew she shouldn't pry. So she just looked at the side of his head and hoped he would continue without her prompting.

"Kalinka threw a party at her house before the school year started. I wound up in the guest bedroom with one of her friends. I had drank a little, I think she did too, it just kind of happened," he explained.

Fie pulled back out of surprise. "You drink?"

Elliot blushed. "Only a couple time, at parties. That night I was pretty sad about going to Thors." His eyes shot open and he stammered out a follow up. "I'm not anymore! I- I'm really happy I came here." He abruptly shut up and hugged Fie tighter. She could feel the heat of his cheek radiating against hers.

She chuckled lightly. "I haven't."

"You haven't drank?"

"That too."

The intensity of the heat rose. Elliot cleared his throat, trying to shake off his embarrassment, making his chest rumble against Fie's.

"I want to. With you."

Fie felt Elliot's chest quake in a different way as he swallowed hard. "I'll go to the student union store tomorrow," he said. "And then, tomorrow night, maybe?" His voice trailed off as his throat suddenly found itself dry.

Fie shook her head. Elliot didn't have time to ask her why before she explained. "I want it to be because I want you, not because we said we would do it."

Elliot nodded. Part of him was nervous about the thought of doing something so important spontaneously, but a bigger part wanted to make Fie happy and that was what won out. "I'll just get the condoms."

Fie smiled and planted a kiss against his neck. "For now though," she said before flicking her tongue out to lap at the area just below his ear. Elliot felt his pulse start to pick up. Fie moved in his lap, practically wiggling. His body reacted as she hoped it would, the evidence pressing against her thigh, as it had earlier when she started fumbling with his buttons.

Elliot took the hint and moved his hands down from the small of her back to continue wrinkling her skirt. Fie hissed and began to roll her hips against him. She didn't know how much they could do with their clothes still on, but she was eager to find out.

* * *

A/N: This chapter frustrates me for a very stupid reason. The entire reason I wrote this whole story was because a line popped into my head and I wanted to write it into a story with Fie and Elliot, but realized that just jumping to that from him asking her out in "How do Flirting?" would be jarring. So I wrote all their relationship milestones to make it flow better, and then when I got to the chapter in question I wasn't able to put it in! That's so frustrating. The line, if you're curious, was: "It's an odd sensation; waking up from a wet dream in the arms of its star."


	5. The First Time He Said It

**A/N:** This chapter references my other stories "Overprotective" and "Desire and Fantasy", read them if you want a bit of a better idea of what is going on.

* * *

Laying on the uneven grass and dirt, balls of his feet throbbing from being on them all day, extremities exposed to the chill of the cold night air, and his left arm slowly falling asleep. Seven months ago, the idea of Elliot being in this situation- not just willingly, but happily- would have been absurd.

Right now though, there was nothing else in the world he would rather be doing instead and the reason had her head propped up on his bicep as they stargazed.

The bonfire had long since died, reduced to a pile of smoldering ashes. Everyone else had gone off to bed. It was just him, Fie, and the academy field.

"I can't believe how long it's been," he murmured. Fie heard him, of course. Her sharp hearing sometimes made him wonder if she could even listen to his thoughts.

The way she pressed just a little bit harder against his side, how the back of her head rubbed against his upper arm; Elliot didn't have to see her face to know she was smiling that small, radiant smile of hers.

"Time flies when you're having fun," she said.

Elliot's lips turned upwards and he held her just a bit closer. The comfortable silence descended upon them once more.

_Fun, huh?_

"Thank you," he said.

"Hmm?"

"For listening to me, that night in the kitchen," he explained. "And all the other nights."

Fie was silent, but turned her head to gaze curiously at her boyfriend as he spoke.

"That first night… I hated it here," he admitted. "I never wanted to come here, and I hated my dad for making me do it. I'd spent years working towards going to the music academy, dedicated all of my time to practicing and studying and playing- it was my entire life. When it got pulled away from me, I felt like I had nothing.

"Then you came down. You ate my soup, and you told me it tasted good. You weren't my family, at that point you weren't even my friend. There was no possible reason for you to have said that unless it was true. It was the first time I'd ever felt like there was something else I was even slightly, genuinely, good at aside from my music." Elliot paused, trying to figure out how to say what came next. Fie turned onto her side and curled up to him, sliding a hand under his shirt and resting it atop his heart to offer silent support and encouragement.

Her cold fingers made him shiver, causing Fie to try to pull the hand away. Elliot put his free hand over hers and squeezed it gently, holding it in place against his chest. "My dad was right. Being a musician, going to the academy, it wasn't what I wanted to do. It was just all I thought I _could_ do, my only real path in life. It wasn't my dream, it was just an inevitability. Being here, with you and everyone else, going on those field studies and learning so much about the world, it showed me I have options, that I can be more than one thing at a time. I'm a healer. I'm a pretty good cook. I'm even a _boyfriend_ now, and I _never_ thought that was possible. I like being all of those things; I wouldn't give them up for anything.

"But, through all that, something still stood out. Playing for you in this field… it made me realize I _love_ being a musician. I love learning music, I love practicing, and I love playing for people. I want to do it for as long as I can, for as many people as I can, as well as I can. And I couldn't have gotten there without you," he said, turning his head to look her in the eyes and smile. "So, thank you Fie. Thank you for giving me that certainty. I've sent in an application to go to the music academy next year."

Fie was silent for a moment, processing the information. She closed her eyes and smiled at Elliot, leaning in to give him a soft kiss before relaxing against his side once more and allowing silence to wrap around them like a blanket.

This time, Fie was the first one to speak. "In the corps, there was no such thing as downtime. We always had to be on guard, always. It's different in Thors, with Sara and Sharon and all the other teachers. I feel safe here."

This left Elliot feeling somewhat uncertain, unsure why she had brought it up though happy as always to hear her feelings. "Do I make you feel safe?" he asked her, attempting to venture a guess as to why she had told him.

"No." Elliot's face didn't have time to fall all the way as she swung her leg over his body. Fie nuzzled him, planting a soft kiss on his throat before sitting up and smiling down, the most beautiful sight he'd ever borne witness to. "You make me happy."

In that moment, Elliot knew music would only ever be the second most important thing in his life.

* * *

The next five days were spent trying to plan out the perfect day for Fie, one that would show her how he felt before he said it at the end of the night. Then, on October 30th, Gehenna broke loose.

All Elliot could remember of that day was panic. Panic as the shot rang out through the speakers of the radio, as the soldats came over the horizon, as Crow forced Rean to retreat against his will. Everyone trying to escape or fight back to give others time to flee. It felt like he didn't have a single coherent thought until days later when he, Fie, and Machias were getting settled in an abandoned windmill.

What followed was, without question, the hardest month of Elliot's life. No one knew if any of their other classmates had made it out, though they kept reassuring each other that there was no way any of them could have died, or the status of their families. Hope and optimism can only sustain itself for so long without being corroborated by evidence. He had spent more than one night kept awake by his despair and tears of frustration.

At his lowest point, Fie kept him from falling apart. She took him out of the windmill, supposedly to avoid disturbing Machias but he knew it was so they could be alone, and comforted him as he let everything out. She took his burden onto her shoulders, despite carrying her own that was just as heavy.

That was the last night Elliot cried in the windmill.

* * *

Over the last seven months, Elliot had fought countless monsters. He had helped stop terrorist attacks. He had even successfully hidden from the noble faction for nearly a month. Yet, if one were to ask him, nothing he accomplished surprised him more than responding to the innkeeper's knowing wink and chuckle with only a smile and a thank-you.

225\. That was the number of the room him and Fie would be using for the foreseeable future. Apparently Rean had told the inn that they were a couple and should share. The pair had just gone up to put their things away and then Elliot went back down to collect the keys while Fie freshened up. He didn't blame her for jumping at her first chance in a month to take a hot shower. Elliot was just as excited as she was to have the comforts they had been so sorely missing. Especially the massive bed in the middle of the room which looked like it would be absolute nirvana after sleeping on the ground for so long. Being able to share it with her after weeks of trying to avoid making Machias uncomfortable was the icing on the cake.

All that eagerness was displaced the moment he opened the door. Fie, wearing nothing but a smile and a yellow miniskirt, walked up to him. One hand pushed the door closed, the other tried to pull him to the bed. Elliot decided the wall was closer.

Sex can have many purposes. In this situation it could have been them expressing how happy they were to both be safe and alive. It could have been mutual comfort to cope with the long road ahead. It could have been a way to find joy in life when things were close to their darkest. In truth, all three were partially responsible but only slightly. Overwhelmingly, this was a result of lust. Lust built over a month without any chance of relief. And it was still just as special.

* * *

Thousands of selge in the air, second floor from the bottom, first door on the right, Elliot sat on a bed and stared at a box.

_Maybe I can give it to her next time Rean calls her out to the field?_

Getting the contents of the box had been a slight challenge. As was everyone's, his first instinct was to ask Rean for help.

_No, she should have some time to break them in first._

While willing to try, Rean had had to admit that there was a lot on his plate and his knowledge on the subject could be stuck inside a fortune cookie.

_What if I just put it in her room?_

His next choice was Instructor Sara, who reacted to his explanation of the circumstances with something not entirely dissimilar to relief. "Oh, so _that's_ why she's been walking funny!"

_But then someone else might grab them by accident. I should have gotten it gift-wrapped_.

Aside from that little bit of awkwardness, asking Sara turned out to be a smart move. She told him where to check to make sure he got the right size and what general details to look out for when making his selection.

_There has to be a perfect way to do this; think Elliot, think!_

While the advice he had been given helped narrow down the possible options from the vast selection available in RF Arms, it still left him with a choice to make between three possible candidate with equally valid claims for their superiority. He did his best, agonizing over the decision until being notified that the Courageous was taking off, but Elliot still wasn't sure he made the right choice. As such, the next part would have to be good enough to make up for his potential mistakes.

_Maybe I can surprise her-_

"What is it?" asked Fie, making Elliot yelp and throw the box high enough for the cardboard to dent where impact was made with the ceiling.

This was followed by a short series of slightly quieter panicked noises as he attempted to catch the box and hold it secure to his chest. "How long have you been sitting there?" he asked the girl sitting on the bed next to him.

"A while," she said, not letting the topic change. "You've been looking at that for so long; it must be something interesting."

"Uhm- well- Uh-" Elliot's rapid heartbeat did nothing to make him a quicker thinker. He implemented the only solution that came to mind, realizing too late how stupid it was. "Here," he said, lamely holding it out to her while turning his gaze firmly to the ground.

Fie gingerly took the box, setting it on her lap as he rambled an explanation. "I saw that your shoe was starting to break and thought you could use new ones so I went out and, uhh, bought you new ones," he awkwardly muttered. "I- If you don't like them that's okay, I can return them, I kept the receip-"

Once Elliot had calmed down a little, Fie pulled back from the kiss with a smile. One hand was inside the now open box, feeling the texture of the dragon skin shoes. "They're nice. Thank you."

"Oh! Uh-" Elliot cleared his throat hard and sheepishly scratched his blushing cheek, matching her smile with his own. "Anytime."

* * *

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The lights were out, but they couldn't sleep. The bed was comfortable, the blankets were warm, they were together, and their friend was dead.

It had been easy to justify the silence on the trip home. Rean had been closer to Crow than anyone and that loss had been immediately followed by his life being turned upside-down. It had been an unspoken pact among the class; they would all be there for Rean but he would be allowed to process it in his own time in his own way.

That excuse no longer applied. They had landed back at school; the class had scattered back to their own bedrooms; and still Elliot said nothing. All he could do was hold Fie tight while mechanically stroking her hair and staring blankly at the pitch-black ceiling.

Elliot wasn't naive, he had known at the start of their mission that there was a chance not all of them would make it back. He'd just always assumed it would be something sudden, in the heat of combat. One of his friends would be alive and the next they'd be gone, with no time for him to process until later after the danger was dealt with. Not slowly fading away after their victory had been secured, leaving him with no distractions and plenty of time to take in every detail as the inevitable happened.

No 'What-if's or 'If-only's, just a display of mortality and how little in life was controllable.

"I watched my dad die," Fie softly said.

Elliot's only response was to stop stroking her hair, resting his palm on her back and letting her speak without distraction.

"I didn't sleep. I only ate what the others brought for me. They kept trying to tell me that he would be okay, that he was stronger, that he was smarter, that he was better. I knew they were lying. I knew that was going to be the last time I saw him."

Her arms tightened around Elliot. "He fought for three days. I watched all of it. When he finally stopped getting up… I didn't know what to do. I just went back to my tent and got ready for bed."

Elliot's fingers threaded through her hair. "It felt like everything would be different once they were gone, and then it happens, and everything's the same. They're just not there anymore," he said.

"My mom got sick when I was nine. All we could do was keep her comfortable. By the end of it, dad and Fiona had already taken over everything she would do at home. I thought the world was going to end and all that changed was that I stopped visiting the hospital."

He felt Fie slowly relax in his arms, her muscles releasing one by one. "Thank you," she said softly.

"No problem."

A small yawn escaped the silverette. She nuzzled against his chest in a way that was all too familiar. In that moment, Elliot made a choice.

"Fie?"

Holding back wasn't fair to her. It wasn't fair to him. Too many perfect moments had been left incomplete because he had convinced himself they weren't good enough, that he wasn't good enough.

"Mmm?"

Being with her gave him happy memories in even the worst of times, and he couldn't let them be tainted by fear any longer.

"I love you."

* * *

****A/N: ****Sorry this took so long. I was searching for a job and preparing for GREs and my uncle succumbed to his cancer and my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. On the upside, my mom got the cancer cut out of her and I now have a part-time night shift job that gives me plenty of time to write and study.

This chapter was originally gonna have it be stated explicitly that these were all times when he wanted to tell her he loved her but didn't because of his hangups. So instead I'm just saying it in here as a sort of director's commentary.

There are actually a lot of unintentional callbacks to "Desire and Fantasy" and "How Do Flirting" in this story, see if you can spot them all.

You know shit is serious when Rean has to turn down someone asking for help.

If you liked this chapter, please leave a review. They make me very happy and are incredibly important to me. Thank you.


	6. The First Time She Said It

Author's notes: This chapter references my previous stories "Desire and Fantasy" and "Overprotective". If you haven't read those, I highly recommend you do so before reading this chapter.

* * *

In Sara's mind there was only one reason a nervous sixteen year old would be knocking on her door in the dead of night. "What's wrong?" she asked, trying to keep the dread out of her voice.

"Elliot said he loves me."

Oh thank Aidios.

Sara's reflexes were just fast enough to catch her sigh of relief in her throat. Fie wasn't one to brag, certainly not wake her up in the middle of the night just to do it. There was also the way she was nervously shifting her weight from side to side. "Come on in," Sara invited, beckoning her into her bedroom and turning on the lights.

Fie stepped inside and stood just in front of the door, rubbing her elbow and looking like her mind was a million selge away. "Sit down," said Sara, patting a spot on the bed next to her. She mechanically walked over and sat.

Sara was silent, hoping Fie would start explaining the situation on her own. When that didn't happen, she tried prodding her a little. "So, what happened?"

"We were laying in bed and he told me he loves me," Fie muttered, her hand clenching the fabric of her pajamas.

"...And you don't feel the same way?" Sara guessed after Fie failed to elaborate on the problem. She doubted that was it, but she needed to say something in order to get the girl of few words to give her more details.

Several long seconds of Fie slowly fidgeting and looking despondent passed before her response came. "Everyone I've said it to left me. My parents. My family." Her voice fell even softer. "My dad."

So that was it. Sara sighed sympathetically and put her arm around Fie's shoulders, holding her. "Fie, Elliot's not going to leave yo-"

"Yes he is!"

If Sara hadn't been holding onto her, the surprise of Fie raising her voice, the only time she had ever heard it happen, might have knocked her flat onto her back.

Following her outburst, Fie turned away from Sara and was quiet once again.

Sara let this silence run its course as she held her closely, stroking her back and trying her best to be supportive. Fie took a deep, shuddering breath and explained.

"He's going to the music academy. He told me a couple of months ago. This is going to be his last year at Thors."

"You don't want him to go?"

"I do want him to go. It's so important to him. But…"

"But Heimdallr and Trista are so far apart," Sara finished for her. Fie softly sighed and nodded.

"Oh Fie," Sara wrapped her other arm around her in a tight hug. "Just because you two are apart, doesn't mean you aren't together. You have your ARCUS to talk to each other, and the train to visit."

Fie shook her head. "It wouldn't be the same."

"You're right, it won't be," Sara admitted. "Nightly calls aren't the same as falling asleep in each others arms. Visiting isn't the same as seeing each other every day. Not even close. But think about what would have to be given up in order to keep that intimacy. You could ask Elliot to not go to the music academy and stay with you in Thors."

"I couldn't," Fie said.

Sara nodded. "Another option is to break up with him so-"

"Next option." Even with the melancholy mood, Fie had said it so quickly and firmly that Sara had to force back a giggle, keeping it to just a smile.

"Well, then all that's left is to deal with the pain of the distance."

"...I could go with him. Find something to do in Heimdallr."

"Do you think that would make you happy?"

The silence was all the answer Sara needed. She pulled back from Fie and looked her in the eyes. "I'm not going to pretend like there's a right answer to this," she said. "Sometimes there's no way to get around pain and you just have to pick whatever you think will hurt the least. As much as I would like to tell you what path that would be, I can't. It's something you'll have to decide on your own."

Fie looked away from Sara's gaze as she thought. "Have you ever done it before?"

Sara sighed. She had been hoping Fie wouldn't ask that. "I tried. It didn't work out. I couldn't give them what they wanted and they couldn't give me what I needed. It's really hard to pull off, even if you love them- heck _especially_ if you love them. There will be times when you need them and they just can't be there for you and you have to force yourself away from other options that can. It's so easy for you to start resenting them for it, even while knowing that if they could do something they would. So easy to stop trying."

As Sara spoke, Fie's expression went from sad to gloomy and her gaze returned to the floor.

"But," said Sara, gently cupping Fie's chin to get her attention back. "With the right person, it's worth it. Someone who can turn a bad day around just by talking with them. Someone who will still be there for you to the best of what circumstances will allow. Someone who won't give up on you and who makes you feel like your effort is well spent.

"I've seen how you and Elliot act around each other. How he makes you smile and you make him relax. If anyone could pull it off, its you two, and I've seen it be done so I know it's possible. Just look at Elliot's sister, her and Neithardt see each other maybe once a month and they're the worst kept secret in east Erebonia!"

Fie cracked a slight smile and Sara held back a triumphant fist pump. She still had to bring it home. "You're both so smart, so determined, and so in love. You can figure out how to make it work until the day comes that you no longer have to. I would bet all the booze in the world on it."

Fie's smile became just a little bit bigger and then she fell backwards to lay on the bed, like a weight had just been taken off of her shoulders. She put a forearm over her eyes to block them from the wall-lights as the rest of her tension gradually left her, pushed out of her body with every exhale.

Suddenly her smile became massive. "What's up?" Sara asked with a smile of her own.

Fie's smile broadened even more. "He loves me."

It was so rare that Sara was reminded how young her students were for happy reasons. She giggled and patted Fie on the shoulder.

"Congratulations."

* * *

Looking back, Fie could pinpoint exactly when she realized just how deep her feelings for Elliot really were. It was on the Courageous, just after they had rescued Rean and he'd told them how he had let slip about their relationship to Xeno and Leonidas.

"_Do you think they'll come looking for me?"_ he'd asked her when they were alone again.

Fie had nodded.

"_Do you want me to meet them?" _

Of course she did. "_It would be dangerous. They're… really protective of me."_ She had already come up with a few ideas for how to keep that from happening, how to cover their tracks and avoid the confrontation.

Elliot looked at her, trying to understand the meaning behind the words left unspoken.

"_I want to meet them. How could I call myself your boyfriend and hide from your family?"_ he said with an attempt at a confident smile. "_Besides, I want to meet the people who helped raise someone as incredible as you."_

He was scared. Fie _knew_ that he was scared, the way his fingers twitched like they were trying to clench onto a staff that they weren't holding. Even she was scared of what might happen when they met, remembering what Xeno and Leonidas were capable of when protecting her.

But he had the courage to face that fear for her; for the sake of being able to bring together some of the most important and best parts of Fie's life. It made Fie realize just how much of her life she wanted to share with him.

She just couldn't tell him. She wanted to. With all of her heart, she wanted to tell him, to let him know his feelings were returned and maybe make him feel as she did whenever she heard him say it.

The first couple times Elliot had said it since the very first, he would pause for a moment and clearly be hoping for a response that wouldn't come no matter how badly Fie wanted to give it. It made her feel terrible. Eventually he stopped pausing and she felt even worse.

Fie was mad at her family for abandoning her. Mad at her father for dying and leaving her. Mad that they had made her feel that three wonderful words were a terrible curse. But most of all, she was mad at herself for not being able to break through that fear and say them anyway.

She thought she could make up for it with actions, showing how she felt in lieu of saying it. Getting up early in the morning three times a week to make him his favorite breakfast. Going to the library to find books on subjects he was struggling with in his accelerated schedule and taking notes on them for him to study from. Letting him use her lap as a pillow so he could nap during break periods. She even tried restringing his violin for him. It didn't go so well but the thought was there and the damage was repairable.

The result was always the same. He would smile at her, kiss her, hold her, thank her, and Fie would feel like maybe she had pulled it off. Then he would tell her he loved her and she would realize that even if her actions made him feel good, they were no substitute.

After all, he did similar things for her. Surprising her with dinner; be it reservations or homemade. Pausing whatever he was doing to play violin for her whenever the stress of studying was getting to her head and she needed help calming down. Massaging her after a day of combat training followed by an evening of crouching and digging and lifting and pruning in the gardening club had left her muscles sore. It made her feel good. It made her feel cared for. It made her feel loved. But there's a difference between feeling loved and hearing him say it and _knowing_ that she was loved.

She needed something more, a way to say it as definitively as possible without uttering those jinxed words. Which was why she was waiting at the counter of the Trista Gardening Shop in the middle of the day picking up a seed packet and detailed instructions.

Seeing roses in front of the gardening shop one day reminded Fie of how Vivi used to snicker about a certain plant and her sister. She asked her to explain what the deal with that flower had been, enduring lightly teasing giggles as Vivi beat around the bush. After that she spoke with Edel and asked her if there was anywhere she could grow something privately; followed by an awkward conversation assuring her she wasn't planning to grow anything illegal. With everything set, Fie had placed the order and waited a week for the seeds to arrive.

Walking back to the dorm, reading the instructions and starting the process of committing them to memory, Fie could see it was going to be hard, time-consuming, and exhausting, but it was worth it. Elliot was worth it.

* * *

"I'm gonna join your classes," Fie said.

"...huh?" asked Elliot, jarred from his reading and not quite catching the words spoken.

The young couple had been a few minutes early picking up their laundry, so they decided to wait out the rest of the drying cycle. No one else in class VII had used this room since Sharon's arrival. Elliot and Fie were only using it because the maid had recently taken them aside and politely informed them that if they were going to ruin their sheets on an almost nightly basis; she would happily teach them how to use the washing machines, and they had been making use of the room ever since.

Elliot sat in the middle of the padded bench that was on the opposite side of the room from the rumbling boxes, Fie sitting next to him and leaning against his shoulder while he read. He had thought she had gone to sleep, but evidently she was just resting her eyes.

Fie continued speaking, knowing his mind would quickly catch up to her words. "I want to be a bracer, but Sara said I had to graduate first. 'It wouldn't look good for the guild to accept a sixteen-year-old Thors academy drop-out when they're already on shaky footing in Erebonya' or something."

"Wow, a bracer. That's pretty cool; I'm sure you'll be great at it." Elliot found himself in an area many boyfriends found themselves; your partner is telling you something that clearly means a lot to them but you have no idea how to respond. All he could come up with was, "Why?"

"I need to find out what they were talking about when they said they were trying to bring back the boss. If there's some way to…" Fie didn't even know what they could mean. Bring him back to life? It was impossible but she couldn't imagine what else it could be. Her hand slid along Elliot's arm, gently asking for his own. He gave it to her, letting go of the book and lacing his fingers with hers as she spoke. "I need to show them, all of them, who I am now. I spent so long wondering why they had all abandoned me. I thought that I had gotten everything all wrong, that it was just the boss who was my family and the rest weren't." She squeezed Elliot's hand and closed her eyes again, leaning harder against his comforting warmth.

"If that was all on his orders… I don't know. I can't say he was wrong to do it; if whatever they were going to do was really that dangerous then I probably would have been a liability, worse than useless."

"You're not useless, Fie," said Elliot.

"Not anymore. I need to show them that, that I can stand next to them and not behind them anymore. And… and that I deserve to know what's going on with my dad."

Elliot rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb in what he hoped was a comforting way. "You'll do it. I know you can."

Fie was silent, giving herself over to him and his comfort. She hadn't told him everything; just finding her family and showing them how she had grown wasn't the end of it. She needed to ask them why. Why, even if they had abandoned her on the boss's order, they did it so coldly. Why they didn't give any sort of indication they'd be coming back for her one day. Why the people she loved had let her spend over a year feeling like they hadn't loved her. And, if her dad really was alive or could be brought back to life or whatever, he had made her go through the heartbreak of losing her parents for the second time.

"Besides," she said as she softly smiled up at Elliot, "You've met two of my brothers, but I still need to introduce you to the rest of the family."

He chuckled and scratched his cheek in that way she found so adorable, the way that never failed to make her lean in for a kiss.

Maybe getting those answers would help her get past the questions. Maybe they would let her finally tell Elliot how she felt about him without the clawing fear it stirred up in her stomach.

"I love you," he said as he pulled back from the kiss.

Maybe.

Fie's smile softly faded. He noticed and looked at her with concern. She spoke up before he could voice it. "Does it ever bother you?" she asked. "That I don't say it back."

Elliot sighed and leaned back against the wall, his gaze going to the ceiling as he thought. "Not as much as it would if you made yourself uncomfortable saying it," he finally said.

Fie swallowed and closed her eyes. He really deserved better. "I want to," she said. "I just… can't." It felt stupid as soon as the words left her mouth. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Elliot said, trying to quickly think of anything comforting he could say or do. He brought his other hand over to gently scratch the back of her neck in the way she liked so much. "Do you want me to stop saying it? Does it make you uncomfortable?"

Fie's eyes snapped open in what, for her, counted as great alarm. "I like it when you say it," she said as she looked up into his eyes. "Please don't stop."

"Never," he promised. He leaned in to kiss her and she knew he was telling the truth. By the time their lips parted, signaled by the buzz of the dryer, her's had regained their soft smile.

Fie stood and opened up the machine's door, pulling out warm fluffy sheets. "Let's bring these back up to our room."

* * *

"You know? It's like, I just asked him to teach me how to use a camera, not hit on me." Vivi sighed. "At least he stopped when I told him to stop. And he did show me how it all worked."

Fie nodded.

Vivi had been right, Fie did need this. With everyone in class vii deciding to accelerate their education, the dorm was a constant buzz of stress and activity. As finals drew closer even being with Elliot had a faint air of panic. Most of their time together was spent studying, trying to learn a year and a half's worth of material in just over two months.

During a gardening club meeting, Vivi told her that she felt Fie needed to relax and spend time away from all the craziness. She dragged her from that meeting all the way to Kirsche's and she had been just too tired to put up any level of resistance.

So here she was, being told about her friend's experiences trying to ask for help with her new photographic passions, and damn if Fie didn't feel a little bit better.

"Have you gotten any good shots?" Fie asked between sips of her drink. She wasn't sure what it was, Vivi had just asked for two of the usual, but it was tasty.

"Eh," Vivi shrugged. "Not really. It's all just practice for now, making sure I know what I'm doing and what all those knobs and numbers mean."

Fie made a little noise of acknowledgement. The two fell into a comfortable silence, Fie letting her mind go blank for the first time in weeks while Vivi people-watched. But emptiness can never last long and eventually thoughts began to return to schoolwork.

"Don't you have finals too?" asked Fie.

Vivi shrugged. "I'm doing well enough to pass," she said. "And going back to those books after the war, it feels kind of pointless. Well, no, not pointless. Just, like, extra I guess. You know? Like, when I leave here the classes aren't going to be what I remember."

Fie nodded.

"Yeah, exactly. But hey, it's given me a lot of free time. Turns out I like reading when it's not textbooks and I don't have to memorize everything. I've even given Dorothee's books a try."

"How're they?" Fie had heard mixed things.

"Oh they're great; they're soooo cheesy. In fact," Vivi said as she leaned over, digging through through her bookbag. "I think I have one on me- Here we go!" She pulled out surprisingly small but intimidatingly thick novel and plopped it on the desk. "This one's ridiculous, its fifteen chapters of these guys going to town on each other, but neither wants to admit they're in a relationship or say they're in love first, so they just keep on acting possessive and jealous and saying it in every other way they can think of. I'm not joking, there's like twenty pages where the only thing they say to each other is 'You're mine' or just 'mine'. You interested?" Vivi asked, having noticed her friend's increased attention.

Fie made a noncommittal noise and went back to her drink.

Vivi tsked and pushed the book closer to her. "Take it! I've already finished it." Fie shrugged and put it into her bag, stuffing it in alongside the notebooks and texts. A mischievous look crossed Vivi's face. "Maybe you can use it to unwind when Elliot's not feeling up to the challenge."

"Hasn't happened yet."

"Ugh, lucky."

"Yep."

* * *

Finals were over. Diplomas were handed out. Everything was packed. It was time to say goodbye.

Every graduating student did it differently. Some thanked their favorite teachers, some paid one last visit to their favorite shops. As for Elliot and Fie, their big goodbye to Thors took place in the night. One final private show at the academy field.

Elliot played for her until the crack of dawn, stopping only when she asked him to come sit with her and watch the sunrise. Nothing but each other, watching the sun burn away their private universe as the world around them was resurrected by the oncoming day.

Even when the night was well and truly over, they were able to pretend it wasn't. The first footsteps of the morning, the sound of other students waking up and starting their own crusades for a form of closure, forced them to acknowledge the truth. Departure day was here.

"I've never lived in one place for this long before," said Fie.

"I'm gonna miss it too," replied Elliot.

Fie sighed. Neither of them wanted to move. Both knew they had to. The question of who would bear the weight of saying so was answered with an ARCUS ping, both of theirs going off simultaneously.

"_The train will be leaving in one hour,_" read the message from Sharon. Her final act as the class maid.

The pair stood wordlessly. Everything that needed to be said had been said in the night. All that was left was being there for each other as much as possible, supporting each other as they walked into the uncertain future by way of the academy field steps.

"Ready to head back to the dorm?" Elliot asked as they reached the top of the stairs, his tone making it clear that he wasn't but knew it was inevitable. To his surprise, Fie shook her head.

"There's something I have to take care of," she said as she reluctantly untangled their fingers. "Could you meet me behind the dorm in thirty minutes?"

His response was a nod and a smile that turned into a lingering kiss. "I'll see you there," he said as he pulled back. "I love you."

Fie felt the now-familiar knot of guilt and sorrow and so many other things in the pit of her stomach. She hoped this would be the last time.

The couple parted ways; Elliot returning to the dorm and Fie making a short stop at the gardening club shed to pick up the necessary tools before heading to her final destination.

She wanted to work quickly, get it done and return to him as soon as possible, finally give him what he deserved but had been denied for so long. Fighting that impulse and working slowly, carefully cutting roots without killing them and keeping the plant as undamaged as possible while bringing it from ground to pot, was one of the hardest things she had ever made herself do.

More than a few curious looks were cast her way as she carried it from its hidden nursery through the town square and to the dorm. Elliot was waiting for her in the shadow of the building. She moved the pot to one arm and raised up on her toes to greet him with a kiss.

"Is this what you had to take care of?" he asked, looking at the plant. "I haven't seen it before. It's beautiful."

"I was hiding it," said Fie. Elliot didn't press the matter. She licked her lips. "Do you know what this is?" she asked.

"Uhm… no," Elliot sheepishly admitted.

"It's a grand rose bush. I've been growing it the last couple months. Something to remember me by. You don't have to do much to take care of it. Just water it once a week and it'll be fine."

Elliot smiled broadly at her. "Thank you."

She nodded. His smile gave her the courage she needed to say the rest of it. "They mean passionate love."

"Fie…"

She held the potted plant out to him. "They're yours." Her words caught in her throat. Elliot took the pot from her, holding it like the most precious of gems as she tried to collect herself, make herself say it. It wasn't exactly the same thing, it wasn't what he deserved, but she could at least say this. "They're yours."

Her gaze locked with his, drawing courage from his smile. She could do this.

"And so am I."

* * *

Author's notes: In case the chapter didn't make it clear enough, Fie has a fear of telling someone she loves them because everyone she has said it to ended up leaving her, which is why she can't say it to Elliot. Basically, she almost feels like those words are cursed coming from her.

Thank you, thank you so much, to everyone who read this as it was coming out and stuck around even after the two month long delay. Thank you to everyone who is coming afterwards and reading this in the future.

This isn't the end of Elliot and Fie for me, I still have some story ideas for them. But it's the end for now, while I study for my exams and focus on that. More will be coming, rest assured.

And, as always, please tell me what you thought, both of this chapter and/or of the story as a whole. Your feedback is the biggest reason I put these stories out there.


	7. Omake

Disclaimer: Aside from the 3rd and the 5th, these omake all revolve around sex jokes. If you wish to just read the ones that aren't, ctrl+f or cmd+f and search for First Introduction and First Confession. Thank you.

**September 27th**

**First Public Disturbance**

"Millium?" Emma asked as the final member of Class VII came into the dining room. Everyone else was having breakfast, preparing for the school day ahead. "We were wondering where you were. Are you feeling alright?" The thirteen-year-old looked, in a word, awful. She took a seat at the table and put her head in her hands, trembling slightly.

"Millium, what's wrong?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, are you sick or something?" asked Crow. "Come sit over here if you are, I could use an excuse to get out of Makarov's test."

"...We have to move," came Millium's muffled reply.

"Excuse me?" said Sara.

"The dorm is haunted. And we have to move."

A silence fell over the room, broken by Jusis groaning and putting his hand over his forehead like he was trying to squeeze away a sudden headache.

"Oh no, the ghosts got Jusis!"

"More like an imp," he grumbled.

"Millium," Sara said as she walked over to the poor girl. She crouched to get on her level and gently rubbed her back. "Why don't you tell me what happened."

Millium nodded. "I couldn't fall asleep so I was walking up and down the hallway, cuz Sharon asked me not to run at night anymore so I was walking and then I heard these noises."

"Noises?"

"Yeah like soft 'Oooo's and 'Eeee's and I could hear a thump thump thump. I thought it was someone but I sent Lammy to check the windows and he said everyone was in bed," Millium shakily explained. "And then the thumping got louder and louder and faster and then I heard a shriek."

"Oh, did you now."

Frantic nodding from Millium. "And then I ran back to my room, and Lammy put the desk in front of the door, and I watched it all night, and guys we have to move!"

Sara, to her credit as a caretaker, stifled most of her sigh. "Millium, go back to bed."

"But the ghosts!"

"The ghosts won't attack you in the daytime. I'll tell the other teachers what happened. You need your rest."

"...You sure?"

Sara nodded. "Promise. Me and Sharon will hunt them all down before nightfall. Now, go get some sleep."

"...Okay," Millium seemed unsure but she hopped off the chair and headed back to the stairwell. As soon as she was out of sight, ten pairs of eyes shifted focus as one to a brightly blushing boy and the girl calmly eating next to him.

The longer the silence dragged along, the redder Elliot got.

Sharon cleared her throat, perhaps out of a sense of pity. "Master Craig, Madame Claussell, perhaps I should put pillows between your beds and the walls while you are in class today."

Machias was the next to speak. "Yes, well, as your vice president I must say, while we are all very happy for you both, please try to minimize your… Volume, in the future," he said, adjusting his glasses with one hand while trying to discreetly offer Elliot a fistbump under the table with the other. "It is highly inappropriate in a shared living environment."

Elliot was blushing too hard to notice the attempt, but Fie did. She leaned across her boyfriend's lap to accept it, the blatant gesture making it obvious to everyone at the table what had happened and giving Machias his own light crimson mask, which he tried to hide by coughing loudly into his fist.

On the way back, Fie noticed the bright red coming off of Elliot's face. "Why are you embarrassed? I'm the one she heard scre-"

"Fie!" Sara said.

**October 19th**

**First Dodge**

Elliot and Rean were sitting on a bench in the gym, relaxing after a sparring session. Elliot was practically gasping for air while Rean was just taking slightly deeper breaths.

"You did pretty good today," said Rean, trying to encourage his friend as he gave him a water bottle. "You were able to block my strikes a lot better too. Have you been working out?"

"Uhm…"

"_Don't drop her don't drop her don't drop her don't drop her Aidios that feels goo- ohcrapdon'tdropherdon'tdropherdon'tdropherdon'tdropherdon'tdropherdon'tdropher_"

"Kinda," Elliot said as he grabbed the water bottle and chugged it down, hoping Rean wouldn't notice the extra red on his exhausted face.

**December 1st**

**First Introduction**

"D-D-Dad!" Elliot stammered out as his father enveloped him in a tight embrace.

"Nonsense! You were raised in my arms boy. What's another two or three minutes more?" his father loudly proclaimed, making Elliot grimace with embarrassment. "I can tell you've lost some weight, but you're otherwise as fit as your fiddles!"

"Dad, please, not in front of my girlfriend," Elliot begged.

"She's here?!" Olaf said as he released his son, his hands resting on his shoulders to keep him from squirming away no matter how hard Elliot tried. Olaf turned his head back and forth. "Who is it?"

"Yo," Fie said, putting up a peace sign.

"Oh I'm so proud of you!" Olaf hugged Elliot even tighter and lifted him off the floor in his jubilation.

"Dad please put me down."

**December 3rd**

**First Indirect Wingmanning**

"Hey Rean!" Alisa called out as she walked over to him.

"Alisa?" he asked as he straightened up from unclamping his snowboard from his feet. "What brings you to the track?"

"Well, I figured while I was here, why spend all my time cooped up in the hotel? I might as well learn something new, you know? "

"You want to learn how to snowboard?"

Alisa's cheeks puffed up. "You don't have to sound so skeptical."

Rean held up his hands. "Sorry, sorry. I'll be happy to teach you. Here, I think this board should fit. Let me show you how to put it on."

While he helped Alisa work out all the straps, Rean asked, "So why'd you wanna learn how to do this anyways?"

"Well, you make it seem like a lot of fun, it's a good way to see the mountain, get some fresh air, an-"

Rean cut her off. "They're still going at it, aren't they?"

Alisa blushed a deep crimson and looked to the side.

Rean sighed. "I'm sorry. I really thought the hotel walls were thicker."

**March 23rd**

**First Confession**

"Well, I think that's all the big stuff," Elliot said as he closed his luggage with a grunt. "Phew. Thanks for helping me pack, Fie. Just got a couple more little things to put away."

"No problem," Fie said. She flopped onto his bed, watching him with one eye open.

Elliot opened up his backpack and moved to his desk, putting in books and pictures. He reached for a pair of dried daffodils and hesitated.

"You kept those for a while, huh," Fie said.

Elliot blushed and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah… It's silly."

"Hmm?"

"Well…" He sighed. "You're never gonna believe this. Months ago, out of nowhere, I woke up with these two on my eyelids. I have no idea how they got there, if it was some gang I crossed by accident or ghosts or who knows what else. I guess I just always held onto them in case whatever left them here came back for them. Wouldn't wanna make the ghost mafia angry after all, heh heh." Saying all of it out loud made him realize how stupid it really was. Fie opened her other eye and walked over to him.

"_That's it, now you've done it,_" thought Elliot. "_She's gonna think you're crazy and dump-_"

"I got you these flowers," Fie said as she picked them up from the desk.

"...Huh?"

"I wanted you to like me." Fie blushed, her stoic expression dipping only slightly as she played with her shirt collar and looked everywhere but Elliot. "So I got you flowers."

Elliot blinked. "I woke up with them on my eyelids."

"I wanted to be sure you saw them," she muttered, blush growing and voice shrinking. "Sorry."

Elliot stared at her, then sighed and opened up his violin case. He kissed her softly as he gently took the flowers from her grip.

"Well," he said as he carefully laid them inside the velvet-lined chamber. "Now I have a better reason to hold onto them."

* * *

And now Tumbling Down the Mountainside is officially all wrapped up. What did you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I have a sequel story up right now, New Year's With the Craigs, updating once a day until January 1st, hopefully, about New Years with Elliot and Fie and all their family. I'm told it's pretty good and if you liked this story, you'll probably like that one. It is less focused on Elliot/Fie but it still has a lot of them being cute together and also a lot family interactions and also Fiona/Neithardt and Sara/Xeno, which I am trying to make a thing.

Thank you for reading all of this, and I hope you all enjoyed!


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